My midlife style staples – now discounted
This is a two part post again because there’s something that’s rattled me that I have to pick up on so I’ll get that out of the way at the beginning. Then I’ll move on to my midlife style staples – now discounted. Rather than just trawling through the Black Friday offers I thought I’d make it more useful by rounding up the things I love so much that I replicate them – at home, in Newcastle and in the travel bag that I keep ever-ready because I so often have to spend a night away. If you’re looking for new, great things to try they’re all currently on offer. But first, I’m afraid, there’s a little controversy that I feel I have to push back on.
Not apologising for who I am
I always know that if people take the time to write to me directly about something I’ve said there will be others feeling the same who haven’t put pen to paper (or rather fingers to keyboard). As well as positive comments, emails and messages last week there were some that came in about the Christmas memories I discussed that gave a different view. They felt that the story I told about Mal’s childhood wasn’t aspirational enough and not the sort of thing they expected from Midlifechic. One person described it as ‘just depressing.’
It wasn’t intended to come across that way at all, in fact I’d hoped it would be uplifting. There’s so much pressure on Christmas being a modern fantasy that I really just wanted it to be a quiet reminder that it can be quite simple. I don’t know why but this year in particular the media build-up feels out of kilter with reality – the drive to spend, spend, spend when a lot of people are finding it harder than ever before seems misaligned. I suspect that in the future when we look back at the 2020s we’ll see it as a challenging decade.
If you’re looking for aspirational, there are plenty of other places to find it, it isn’t one of the watchwords that I apply to what I do here. Midlifechic has always been the reflection of an ordinary life – and I realise that ‘ordinary’ is relative but there seem to be quite a few of us here who have a lot in common.
One of the emails pointed out that I could gloss over Mal’s past, that I could keep it hidden – but that implies that I should be ashamed of being married to a man from a working class background. It’s so odd to hear that perspective voiced in 2025. I’m incredibly proud to have been adopted into my Geordie family. They’re amazing people, they’ve been through more hardship and tragedy than most of us here could ever imagine. And yet they continue to rise into life with a smile on their faces, determined to keep on living their days to the fullest without rancour at the hand they’ve been dealt. They’re the very best example of the tenacity of the human spirit.
As for Mal, I admire him for many things including the way that his background has influenced his choices. He didn’t let any feeling of not being good enough affect his drive, instead he harnessed his design flair and reached the career peak of being in charge of the creative studios at Selfridges. I’m proud of him for being the person who oversaw the production and installation of the incredible window schemes there… and the iconic yellow bag that people from all over the world rush to carry. But then for sticking to his childhood values and choosing family life over the cut and thrust… and for never forgetting where he comes from.
We all keep on growing throughout our lives and some people decide to forge new paths. We may not all end up in the same few streets that we grew up in as Mal’s brothers have… but we may end up just around the corner like I did… these choices are ours to make. Whatever you opt for I think you can only live your life fully if you’re true to who you are and that includes an appreciation of where you began. I have friends who’ve built new lives that only work if they obscure their roots. If I step into their lives I have to be careful not to talk too much about the past because they’ve reinvented themselves and it’s exhausting.
I can’t stand snobbery, my dad’s clearest lesson was never to judge others. He couldn’t abide gossip or speculation and in his gentle way he drilled that into me. So I’m saying very strongly that I will never gloss over stories like the one I told on Friday. I’m proud to be a Northern woman who’s worked hard with her Northern husband for everything she has. Although I’m sure it would have been nice to have been born into a gilded life nothing has been handed to us and so I’m happy with what we’ve achieved. And far more than that, I feel lucky to be part of a loving family – both on my side and Mal’s. What they do or have doesn’t matter to me, it’s who they are that counts.
That was a bit long I know but as I get older it really matters to me. My midlife intolerance is for people who are inauthentic. Enough said, let’s move on to my midlife style staples that are currently sporting good Black Friday offers. Some are aspirational, others less so!
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My midlife style staples – now discounted
Starting with skincare, I’m always trialling new products but these are the ones I’m loyal to all year round. The objectives with midlife skin are firstly to improve skin cell turnover so that it glows and then to plump. These products are the ones I use to achieve that day in, day out.
Night-time – bespoke glow and plumping
I’ve trialled retinol-type products from most of the big brands but nothing touches this personalised retinoid which is 20 times more potent than standard retinols. I’ve been using it faithfully for over a year and it’s worked wonders for keeping my skin looking glowy and plump. The way it works is that you send barefaced photos through to a Renew + Me dermatology team and complete an online consultation about your skin concerns/age related issues. They then create exactly the right formulation for you. My serum currently contains clinical retinol and Azelaic Acid but they contact me to review it regularly.
If you’ve tried it before and felt the packaging was wasteful they’ve changed it and it now comes in a carefully measured dose as you can see from the photo. The results are soon visible after you’ve been using it consistently for a while, in fact I think they’re outstanding. In layman’s language it basically makes my skin look almost brand new each morning – like a brass doorknob that’s been polished.
It’s such an affordable way of accessing skincare that would cost so many times more if you went to see a dermatologist for a bespoke product from a Harley Street Clinic. I have a special offer for you here – try it for a month for just £6.99 using code MIDLIFE at checkout. That way you’ll be able to see the results for yourself and if you keep using it for 12 weeks but can’t see a difference they’ll give you your money back. Start your introductory trial here.
Daytime – brightness and protection
Because my skin is so new at the beginning of the day it needs protecting. I’ve talked about this lots of times before, it neutralises the damage that free radicals do to your skin during an average day and it’s non-negotiable for me. No other Vitamin C product comes close. That may change next year because the patent has just expired so other brands may finally be able to match the formulation at a lower price but for now the magic stands. The best offer is currently this one which includes a superb sunscreen for the ultimate protection.
The best daytime moisturiser with SPF
Year-round there is no better moisturiser than this in my opinion. It’s recommended by lots of the world’s top dermatologists and it’s always good value but even more so at the moment with 25% off and free postage. Always remember that it’s the serums underneath that do the hard work, your moisturiser simply seals them in and protects – so allocate your budget accordingly.
Foundation stage 1
Once you have a base of smooth, fresh skin thanks to good skincare that keeps your cells turning over, you need to get your foundation right. For me that involves two products, this is the first one and it’s called unreal for a reason (currently 25% off and there are various gifts with purchase according to spend).
I apply it to every area that isn’t the T-Zone – so I use it under my eyes, down the sides of my face and to fill in my cheeks. It’s very sheer so it doesn’t add too much heavy coverage, it just gives the most incredible, luminous glow even when you add blusher on top. If it creeps into your T-Zone though it’s so shiny that it can look oily. That’s where I apply the next product…
Foundation stage 2
On the T-Zone I then use a tiny bit of this for what they call the babyskin effect. Ignore the fact that they say it’s made for people with acne, that makes it sound super claggy but it isn’t. It’s so flattering, it wipes away the years and it currently has a Black Friday offer. In winter I use the ‘super’ version and in summer the standard one.
The best blusher
Do you remember back in 2021 when they discontinued this particular shade and we had Midlifechic readers hunting high and low for it in outlet stores? Thanks to the outcry from us and lots of other people they brought it back. When midlife pigment starts to fade you need a little more colour in your cheeks than before and although this looks bright in the pot, it melts into the cheeks beautifully bringing warmth to your complexion. Currently 20% off plus various gifts with spend.
The very best highlighter
The finishing touch when it comes to glow because you can never have enough in midlife. Apply this at the top of your cheekbone along the crest of your blusher, underneath the arch of your eyebrow and in your cupid’s bow. It catches the light beautifully and makes your skin look subtly ethereal. And you use so little that it lasts forever. Currently 20% off.
The best eyeliner
Certainly not the cheapest but for Black Friday there’s 20% off sitewide. You can’t beat this eyeliner, I tried the Hildun ones that are often compared to it and they apply well but don’t last and they don’t have a smudging end so they’re useless if you’re out and about. I use these to the very last centimetre, I apply the black to my upper lashline and a smudge of cocoa brown below. They’re the best, especially for tightlining – apply to the waterline once and it lasts all night.
Best lipstick finish for midlife lips
This is a relatively new formulation and my favourite discovery for lips this year. It’s moisturising and shiny without being too glossy. It manages to add visual volume to the lips without any tingly ingredients being added. My favourite colours are No Photos and TNTeaser. It’s often sold out but there’s currently full stock here with 25% off.
Hair – clarifying shampoo
This is my latest, greatest discovery and it’s fantastic value. My hair quickly becomes weighed down and loses its bounce. I’ve started using this shampoo as the first wash every time and it gives it all of its life back. I wish they’d invent something that does the same for the body! Currently 50% 0ff.
Heat protecting hair fixer
If you use heat on your hair this is superb – it’s so much more than an ordinary hairspray. I use it when my hair’s dry before straighteners. It protects from heat but it also locks the style in, protecting it from damp and wind. It’s the only thing I’ve found works to stop my hair going wavy and you currently get a free full size bottle with any order over £50 with code FREEGIFT. All of Sam McKnight’s products are good but another fabulous gift idea is the new hair perfume – just wonderful.
The Norman Foster of hair
While I’m on the subject of things I can’t live without, Premlee is one of them. There’s no Black Friday discount on this one sadly but if you’re really struggling to think of what to ask for I’ll always say that an appointment with him for a complete hair makeover is one of the best things you can ever do. With one look at the planes of your face he’ll know what will suit you – he’s the supreme architect of the hair world. And he’s so lovely that you’ll feel as if you’ve had a therapy session thrown in too.
Wearable cool sunglasses
If there’s one thing that a midlife woman can really carry off it’s a pair of dramatically chic sunglasses. These are the ones I’m always asked about and they have 30% off this week which makes something that was already well priced even more affordable. The other styles that look great are Air Heart and Vamos.
Best of Black Friday
- Lululemon – Black Friday hub live here
- Mint Velvet – 20% off everything here with code BF20
- SpaceNK – great offers including 25% off brands like Augustinus Bader & Aesop, see it all here
- Inkey List – 30% off almost everything here
- Boden – 40% off everything here – new pieces added
- Marks & Spencer – 25% off ALL beauty here
- Jigsaw – 30% off everything here – new pieces added today
- Charlotte Tilbury – 25% off everything here – new offer started today
- Hush – 20% off everything here
- Sweaty Betty – 50% off winter layering here; 30% off everything else here
- Seasalt – 25% off everything here
- The White Company – 20% off everything weekend, starts tomorrow or today if you pre-register
- Anthropologie – 25% off everything here
- John Lewis Black Friday hub – constantly changing offers & price matches here
- Marks & Spencer – Black Friday price hub here
- Liberty – Black Friday price hub here
- Clinique – up to 30% off plus free gifts here
- Jones Road – new Black Friday offers daily here
- Clarins – 25% off everything and up to 30% off classics here
- Estee Lauder – 25% off everything here
And with that I must run. I hope you’re enjoying the build-up to December – I think that’s the best way to view November these days, as the month where you do all the shopping and planning so that December can be filled with fun. Back again soon.
